Summer holidays are right around the corner and you are wondering what you are going to do with your kids all summer long. You want them to spend more time in the backyard but at the same time you need to keep them entertained, not an easy task. One of the ways that you can do this is with a backyard soccer field. Let us show you how to make a soccer field in your backyard.

Getting the Yard Ready

First thing you’re going to have to do is get your yard prepped and ready. You may not have a full sized regulation soccer field but that’s okay. All you really need is a rectangular space in your yard. Then you are going to have to get rid of any debris there might be that is in the way.

Make the Ground Level

Soccer fields don’t have ditches, holes or hills and all of those things can cause a child trip and fall. If you have holes in the ground then fill them in with topsoil and sand. Put this filler into holes and add a bit of water to make sure that it is compacted down. You are going to have to wait a couple of days before it is fit to walk on and settled properly. Now you are going to need put some grass on this part of the lawn.

Mark out the Field

You can grab a couple of stakes and use them to mark out the corners of the field. You can measure them out with a tape measure to make the lines are even and the lengths are matching. You can wrap string around the stakes to double check and make sure the whole thing is even and you have perfect 90 degree angles at the corners. Once that is done you can start spray painting out the field, don’t forget that you need a midline in the center of the field.

Add the Goals

Depending on the age of your children that will decide the size and materials of the goals that you put up. Also you want something that is proportionate to your yard. You can get a 4 x 6 goal for kids around 5 and as they grow you can make the goal bigger. You want to use plastic, it is lightweight and easily moved. If you have some very serious soccer players in your family then you might want to get some goals that have metal frames and have them anchored in the ground.

Your kids can have a great summer honing their skills and playing their favorite sport right in your backyard, be careful though your yard may become the most popular place in the neighborhood.

One of the reasons that football is the most popular game in the world is the sheer simplicity. The rules are easy to understand and all you need to play is a ball. In a regulation game each side can have up to 11 players on the field at once but in backyard football the rules are a bit more flexible. As longs as you have an even amount of players on each side you’re good to play.

Learning to Play

Football is an incredibly easy game to learn how to play, developing the skills you need to be a major league footballer is another matter however. The backyard is where every footballer first learned the game and so can your kids. The objective is simple, put the ball in the other teams net without ever using your hands to do so. The other team (as well as yours) will have a goalie in the net whose job it is, is to stop you. The goalie is the only one that is allowed to use their hands.

Practice Your Skills

Soccer has a few basic skills that you need to learn and the first thing you need to learn is how to control the ball. That means that you need to take the ball and keep it under control while you are running across the field or while the other team is trying to take the ball from you. You can practice this in the yard without any equipment besides the ball. Here are some tips on practicing your skills.

The second thing you need to learn is how to kick the ball, initially you might think all you do is kick. There are several techniques in kicking the ball properly you want to make sure that you can send the ball accurately to a team mate. Keep practicing and pretty soon you will be able to ‘bend it like Beckham’. You really don’t need any special equipment to practice kicks although a net is helpful since it will stop the ball for you and in a real game that is what you are trying to do anyway.

Backyard football games are a way for kids to practice their skills and to get outside and get some exercise. Backyard football is a national pastime and we need to absolutely encourage it, spend time with your kids and teach them how to dribble.